Why East?
After almost three years of house sitting and van living “out West”, it is time to leave our most favorite area of the United States and spend the summer and fall “back East”. We both have doctors’ appointments, my citizenship interview happens in August, and Mark’s aging parents can use help. Also, our van has never been to its place of registration and family and friends can’t wait to meet our newest crew member, Maya. From our home base in Massachusetts, we hope to explore the Maritimes in Canada as well.
(Hover over the photos below or click on them to read the captions.)
The Art of Boondocking
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know Mark and I rarely pay for camping, which is reflected in our monthly expense reports. This means we practice the art of boondocking, also called dry camping, wild camping, and sometimes urban camping (in cities), without a fee involved: we park our camper van for one night or more on BLM land, National Forest land, or areas where this is allowed.
Usually, there are no facilities. We take up a small spot to plop our house on wheels and leave the place the way we found it. Or better (clean up litter). There is no talent required for this art, only a free app/website called iOverlander, which is also usable offline – one of its biggest perks. This resource is extremely handy, especially for us, non-planners. Of course, things don’t always go as planned.
Walmart parking lot in Cortez, Colorado
Page, Arizona
After a two-week volunteer stint at Best Friends and adopting a dog, Maya (formerly known as Martha) in Kanab, Utah, we were off to all but a great start. We would shop and spend the night in Page, AZ. But, it was too hot to leave Maya in the car during our errands. We spent the boiling afternoon in the shade on a grassy park lawn, took turns buying food and other essentials at the store, and realized we couldn’t survive a night here without air conditioning. We did what we rarely do – we drove in the dark until we reached higher elevation and the temperature dropped to the eighties. We spent the night at an unglamorous gas station in Navajo Nation.
Valley of the Gods, Utah
We drove by Monument Valley Tribal Park, where we half succeeded biking the bumpy, poorly-kept loop road in April, and wondered why throngs of tourists pulled over along the highway. I looked in the side-view mirror of the car and urged Mark to stop at the next pull-out. The view wasn’t too shabby.
Valley of the Gods is the freebie alternative to Monument Valley. Everyone can enter this portion of BLM land and boondock, the roads are gravel and dirt but in better shape than the Navajo Park, and … no crowds.
We drove the 17-mile scenic route in Zesty, past funky and impressive rock formations, colorful spring flowers, and barren land. It was way too hot to spend the night, however, so the air conditioning blasted as we completed our tour interspersed with getting out in ninety-degree weather.
Recapture Pocket, Utah
Our friends Duwan and Greg had recommended a visit to Recapture Pocket, a bit further east. Again, it was a scenic area to spend a free night and explore by foot, but… too hot (100F by now) and the dirt roads appeared too tricky. We feared getting stuck, so didn’t do the area justice. We craved higher elevation and cooler temperatures.
Smokey Mountains, Colorado
Mark and I spent some of last July in Colorado and loved it – the climate, the free camping in the forests, the smell of pines, the rivers, the scenery. We couldn’t wait to find a beautiful campsite in nature and hang out with Maya for a couple of days. We consulted iOverlander and picked the perfect spot. When we arrived, the valley was filled with smoke. A controlled fire chased us off. The smoke was too dense – smelly and headache inducing. Our eyes teared up. We moved on.
Lizard Head Pass
In Colorado, the winding roads go up and down constantly, scaling passes and traversing mountains. Not great for fuel efficiency, or for Maya to get comfortable in the car. But the views are awe-inspiring. Quite the difference from dusty Utah, wouldn’t you say?
The smoke followed us up, and on the mountain, but we managed to set up camp on the other side, past the private homes of Trout Lake. Not a bad spot for the night (fourth attempt) and it was quiet!
Telluride, Colorado
Our route skirted Telluride, which sounded familiar and deemed worth a detour. As always, we didn’t know much about this destination, but, as luck would have it, when I checked my inbox, I found a blog post from Ingrid, about… Telluride!
Telluride Valley
Our trio explored the cute downtown, went on the river walk from where we spotted the Bridal Veil Falls, and encouraged Maya to play in the water. She loved it! And, she did well meeting furry friends. The town is very dog-friendly.
Discovering that the gondola – a transportation device for locals as well as a tourist attraction – was free AND allowed dogs, we had to jump on that! To our surprise, Maya wasn’t faced by the movement of the cars, or jumping in and out.
There is a pretty and cute campground on the edge of town, popular with many a camper. But… at $32 ($20/night for seniors) without hook-ups or showers , we preferred to continue on and stop at a free campground, two miles off our projected path. Still not ideal to rest up for a couple of days: too close to the road and too roaring of a river for Maya to cool off.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado
Not as spectacular as the Grand Canyon (what is?) or surprising and lush as Canyon de Chelly, but Black Canyon of the Gunnison was an enjoyable visit nevertheless. Probably the first canyon Maya took a peek at.
Our boondocking spot was located half a mile from the park boundaries.
Soap Creek, Colorado
Another attempt for a quiet getaway by the river. It was a bit of a detour (10 miles one way), but the views were pretty nice and the dirt road in good condition. As always, we didn’t know what to expect. When we reached a shaded river valley, surrounded by spectacular cliffs, happiness set in.
Then, we found our campsite. The only sound: a roaring river. Yes, the rapids were loud! Delayed snow melt made the rivers burst everywhere in the state.
No internet! We rested, caught up on a few computer things, played and hiked with Maya, and I even started reading a book! We stayed two days. Then, the road called. We’d been dilly dallying enough in this state.
Garden of the Gods, Colorado
But… we’d been craving Trader Joe’s products for a while. The closest town to go shopping for sugar-free bread and affordable goat Brie was Colorado Springs, worth the detour as we managed to fit in a walk in the touristy Garden of the Gods. The rain held off just long enough.
Then, the long haul east – and the inclement weather – started.
Comfy girl
June 28, 2019 at 12:28
It’s too bad you had to pass by some many great places. It amazes me that you don’t find more people at Valley of the Gods – perhaps it is just a little too far off the beaten path.
I’m so glad you did finally find some cooler temperatures and some fun in Colorado and that Maya made some friends. We haven’t explored Colorado too much because it always still too cold in the Spring. But I have big plans for making the van warmer so perhaps on our next journey we find some of these great spots. Telluride looks nice and I love the rocks at Garden of the Gods.
June 30, 2019 at 11:56
We never have enough time (or the right weather) to see it all, right? There’s always a reason to return to many of these states. I agree with the lack of crowds in Valley of the Gods. Weird, but oh-so-nice. And, it seems like that’s the experience of everyone who visits.
I hope you guys get to explore Colorado in depth one year. Maybe after the painting commitments are done? Because, yes, it is quite cold there any other time but summer! Garden of the Gods was interesting, but if I were you, I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit. It’s nothing like the sandstone formations you’ve experienced in Utah and out west! And, way more crowded as it is a city park.
June 28, 2019 at 12:37
Wow – a new adventure! (And with a new companion, too.) I just got back from Boston, where our daughter is living for the summer, so it looks like we’ve missed each other yet again! It was nice to be back in the NE; there’s something about summer there that feels like a special treat, unlike here in TX where it feels like summer almost all the time. Have a great drive, and give Maya a nice pat from me!
June 30, 2019 at 11:59
Oh no, Lexie! We seem to trail behind you everywhere this year. Certainly let me know if and when you visit your daughter again, as we will be in and out of the Boston area for multiple months.
Yes, New England is best visited in the summer, but it can get hot and humid in Massachusetts. As we will have to live in the van for a bit, I hope those days wait until August.
Maya wags her tail after your virtual pat!!
June 28, 2019 at 12:38
Glad one of my posts was helpful. Oh, how I wished we could’ve boondocked in Valley of the Gods but that first dip in the road near the east entrance wouldn’t be good to us. We’re having trouble finding available spots in the U.P. So I’ll be double cking the iOverlander site to see if I’ve missed something.
June 30, 2019 at 12:02
The timing of your Telluride post was unbelievable, Ingrid! It saved me from doing a Google search, if nothing else. 🙂
As we are driving east, the boondocking spots are much less frequent and way less attractive! The last couple of weeks, it has all been Walmart parking lots and parking on pull-outs and in cities – very loud with traffic and trains! Not one place has allowed us to relax or stay for more than one “convenient” night. It’s one of the reasons why we like it out west so much better!
June 28, 2019 at 12:59
Glad you made it to Valley of the Gods! We saw hardly a soul there, compared to Garden of the Gods (I think I’ve got those the right way round) which was busy busy busy.
June 30, 2019 at 12:04
You do have those parks the right way, Anabel. I had the same conflicts going on talking to people about these parks or writing about them in a blog. They all sounds the same: Valley of the Gods, Garden of the Gods, and then there is Valley of Fire in Nevada, where we haven’t been yet.
June 28, 2019 at 13:59
Your photos all look extra-special with Maya in them! I look forward to following your adventures East!
June 30, 2019 at 12:06
Hi Donna! Are you back home? I’m way behind with blog reading and such. You must be in the greatest shape! 🙂 I’m glad you like our new family member and all the photos that include her. Life has become extra-special, indeed, with her presence!
June 28, 2019 at 14:25
What an epic Boondocking adventure! I love how much Maya seems to be having in all these photos. She is a natural road-tripper. 🙂
It blows my mind that Valley of the Gods is not more popular! It looks spectacular!
Have fun on your journey East!!
June 30, 2019 at 12:08
Maya is doing surprisingly well on the road! Especially since she’s 4.5 and has never done such a thing before, I’m sure. But, Zesty has become her home now. Although, when we stayed with friends in Chicago for the weekend recently, she got used to their house VERY easily! 🙂
Thanks for the wishes, and I hope you’ll get to check out Valley of the Gods one day – when it’s not too hot!
June 28, 2019 at 15:04
I’m just amazed you find so many spots to camp for free. And of course, in the most amazing places ever! Bet Maya enjoyed her first long road trip.
June 30, 2019 at 12:11
Maya is loving her 24/7 with us, her busy days, and her couch as a bed to sleep at night, Alex. 🙂 We’re very glad she is getting used to it all so quickly, as this is now her new life.
We used to RV and camp without resources like iOverlander and life was much more challenging those years. We’ve contributed new places to the app, but mostly use what others have already posted. It will be much harder to sustain the free camping on the East Coast. We have already noticed a big difference in frequency and quality of boondocking sites on our journey east.
June 28, 2019 at 16:10
Wow! Your photographs are stunning, Liesbet. Telluride looks gorgeous, I love Trader’s Joes! Safe travels to you and Mark.
June 30, 2019 at 12:13
Thank you, Jill! I’m glad you like the photos. And, Trader Joe’s. I like how it’s a manageable store in size (and I know where to find everything) and we just love some of the products. We do our main grocery shopping elsewhere, but certain items of TJs make our cupboards and fridge complete, like healthy bread and goat cheese for Merk. 🙂
June 28, 2019 at 18:06
Oh ! You adopted a best friends dog !!! Great !! I go there a lot. My friend Joni works in Cats. Curly blondish, reddish hair. You may have met her if you volunteered at cats. I love Utah but yes it does get a bit to hot in summer. I like going there in late fall .
June 30, 2019 at 12:16
Hi Sue! We did adopt Maya (formerly known as Martha) from Best Friends! That was the little twist after my series about our volunteering there. 🙂 I never met Joni as I only did one shift in Cat World in one certain building. We focused our time and efforts on Dogtown.
Our friends in Utah have already told us it’s crazy hot there now. Yes, I think spring and fall would be the best seasons for a visit. Except for this past spring! Enjoy the late fall over there. Maybe we will be back by then, but probably not.
June 28, 2019 at 19:08
And I’ve been complaining about the heat here in Viet Nam! A mere 85 degrees – but going up by 10 degrees more as we head more Central today. Still that’s nothing in comparison with what you encountered.
Sounds like quite the adventure ~ and now of course your adventures are doggie centric 🙂 Glad you eventually found some good camping spots with views and decent temperatures … a few great ones make up for the lousy ones am sure..,
The photos of all the rock formations are stunning ! Enjoying them on Instagram too.. and the ones of Maya enjoying life are fabulous!
Enjoy the East coast and happy family reunions!
Peta
June 30, 2019 at 12:20
Humid heat is the worst, Peta, as we recently noticed. And – like you – I knew this from earlier experiences. With dry heat (as in Utah and Arizona), sitting in the shade brings solace. But, in Toronto and Niagara Falls, we had hot and humid weather and didn’t know where to hide. Maya was suffering most from that. And, it was only upper eighties. I can’t say our trip east has been very enjoyable, as finding free camping is more challenging too. And, more people = more traffic.
Thanks for the east coast wishes, Peta. We will see how the introduction of Maya into the family will go. And, most of our friends have dogs, so that will be happy puppy playtime as well!
June 29, 2019 at 09:42
You two are experts extraordinaire on boondocking. I certainly admire your earth walk, leaving almost no carbon footprint. No facilities – that would be something to get used to. I guess Walmart came in handy for buying supplies and taking care of daily grooming “needs.” I love Trader Joe’s too – European brands and pretty flowers, usually.
As you move east, we’ll see a different topography and some family reunions. Safe travels!
June 30, 2019 at 12:27
Walmart is a good back-up plan (or our only option these days), when there is no other boondocking alternative, Marian. Zesty is totally self-contained (we have a bathroom with toilet and shower, cooking facilities with stove, sink, and fridge, and we have solar for electricity), but we appreciate a level parking lot to park our home for the night without worrying about being chased off, even though it gets noisy often. And, we enjoy the convenience of being able to hop out of the van in the morning or evening to do some shopping. Once in a while, we take advantage of restaurants nearby to skip cooking and doing dishes. 🙂
With “no facilities” in my post, I meant no camping facilities. Usually, campers stay in campgrounds with toilets, trash, picnic tables, WiFi, and showers. Sorry for the confusion. We are not that hardy! 🙂
Did you know that Trader Joe’s is owned by the European, cheap, grocery chain Aldi? I realized this when I found Trader Joe’s products once in a Belgian Aldi. Yes, we have a few favorite products there.
Thanks for the travel wishes! In Ottawa tonight and then slowly down to Massachusetts via Montreal and Vermont.
June 30, 2019 at 14:42
Yes, I understand about living in a self-contained travel trailer on the road. We did this for almost two years, decades ago. We could actually take a shower off the side of the highway if we needed to, though we never did. And without a hookup, we couldn’t have electricity, except for a short-term battery auxiliary. How wonderful that you have solar power.
And, yes, I shop at Aldi every week. If I don’t have heavy stuff, like milk or a watermelon, I can walk there and back in about a mile. The lives of two brothers are intertwined with the history of Aldi and Trader Joe’s. Of course, I prefer Trader Joe’s for atmosphere, but you can’t beat Aldi for value.
I’m guessing you are enjoying cooler temps in Canada though you may be in the New England states by now. 🙂
July 6, 2019 at 07:18
Hi Marian!
How lovely you can walk to Aldi. I hate driving anywhere for errands, so when we used to have a house sit within walking distance of a store – ideally a Trader Joe’s, which happened in San Diego – I’m extremely pleased. 🙂
No cooler temperatures in Canada, unfortunately, as we experienced a heatwave pretty much from Toronto to Montreal. Not fun, especially with a dog. We hopped from shady spot to shady spot and spent a lot of time under trees in the grass.
We arrived in Vermont a couple of days ago and are spending a relaxed and quiet weekend with friends. Highly appreciated, especially by Maya, who is extremely stressed out by all the fireworks.
June 29, 2019 at 11:44
Considering my sedentary life style, it is a treat to participate virtually in yours! Big hug for Maya!
June 30, 2019 at 12:28
Hi Gail! I’m so happy that you are still following our adventures and that you take the time to leave comments. Thank you! Maya gives you a hug back and asks to “pay it forward” to Frida and Elvis. 🙂
June 29, 2019 at 12:42
Wonderful photos of your adventures, Liesbet! I’m so happy to see Maya trotting alongside you with her doggy smile. It’s a hot time of year for this part of the west, but I was glad to see the snow in your pics of Telluride! Sure looks beautiful. Sounds like you have more adventures waiting for you as you continue East and onto Massachusetts. Happy trails!
June 30, 2019 at 12:31
Colorado is such a beautiful state, Terri – very scenic and visually pleasing. And, a photographer’s dream. 🙂
One thing is for sure in our life: we never get bored. There seriously is an adventure around ever corner and things have become a tad more challenging now that we have Maya. Not in the least the hot weather! She might like to be in a house these days, where the air conditioning would blast and keep her cool. We’re looking for lakes and rivers so she can cool off. And parking in the shade has never been this important. Well, not after we had our last two dogs…
June 29, 2019 at 23:14
Thanks for the great pictures. We actually just drove through Valley of the Gods today on our way from the Grand Canyon to Moab. Hope you can get up to the Maritimes. We love traveling up through Maine into New Brunswick but I must say our favorite is Nova Scotia. Hope all goes well with your citizenship interview.
Steve
June 30, 2019 at 12:35
Hi Steven! How was your time down in the Grand Canyon with your sons? It sounds like you’re on another fantastic road trip out west. What’s the chance that you just were in the same area I just wrote about. I’m a tad behind with my blogs, though, and we are in Ontario right now. Otherwise, we would have just missed each other!
Thanks for the insight about Nova Scotia – good to know, as we will only have a month or so in August to visit Eastern Canada. Have you ever been to Newfoundland?
Enjoy the Moab area!!! I hope it’s not too crowded.
June 30, 2019 at 02:21
What a great journey. it all looks so good (and people free – fantastic!). Glad to see Maya is settling in.
June 30, 2019 at 12:37
I’m pretty good about shooting photos without the crowds. 🙂 That being said, most of the places we visited before our haul east were not too busy. After Memorial Day, we could see the campsites fill up and queues appear, though. And, being back east now, it is so much busier – on the roads and at recreation sites. Thanks for following along!!!
July 1, 2019 at 18:31
Hi Liesbet. Fabulous shares here and I have to say, I think I’d be a bit scared boondocking in secluded areas. You guys are brave, lol. Maya looks like she blends into the travel life perfectly. Sooooo sorry we couldn’t connect while you were in my city – on long weekend Canada Day. 🙂 x
July 6, 2019 at 07:22
Hi Debby! I hope you had a wonderful time in cabin country last weekend. Im sorry we didn’t manage to meet as well. One day! Maya had a hard time in Canada, because of the heat and fireworks, but we hope she’ll recover soon. Other than that, she’s pretty happy with her new life. 🙂 Hopefully, the Maritimes are cooler in August.
July 6, 2019 at 08:29
I’m sorry about Maya and the fireworks. I know so many pets don’t like the fireworks and owners keep them inside. I know this was hard to do while living in Zesty. I’d imagine the fireworks on 4th of July wouldn’t be any better for her. 🙁
July 6, 2019 at 10:05
It was really hard to do to keep Maya inside Zesty, Debby. As a matter of fact, she escaped during the Canada Day fireworks in Ottawa and we only got her back by sheer luck and intuition. Tough times! We chose to spend this long weekend with friends in Vermont and to avoid cities and fireworks all together. Hopefully, she’ll lose her new dusk anxiety soon.
July 4, 2019 at 21:05
Wow, that will be a long haul. Wishing you a safe and enjoyable journey with lots of breathtaking scenery and dog-friendly rest stops! 🙂
July 6, 2019 at 09:10
Thanks, Diane! You are so considerate. The rest stops have been dog friendly – we took secondary roads all the way east and created our own rest areas – and the scenery partly breathtaking. It’s no secret that we love the western part of the US better than the eastern side… We will see how we feel about the Canadian side after the summer. 🙂
July 8, 2019 at 15:54
Hi Liesbet,
Glad to hear that you are coming out our way. We are having great fun with our new travel trailer…there is not a lot of boondocking in New England (as you probably know) but we did find a couple of spots in the White Mountains.
We loved New Brunswick and Nova Scotia when we went there with the sailboat. Cape Breton is especially spectacular, and the Bras d’Or Lake made for some great sailing. Don’t miss going to a ceilidh!
July 9, 2019 at 08:46
Hi Nancy!
I have to look up where the White Mountains are. We don’t plan to camp a lot in New England this summer, but my parents plan a visit, so for those two weeks, I wish there was more boondocking for us, while they stay at B&Bs. We will have to wing it.
Mark and I do plan to travel around New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in August, so thank you for the tips. Do you think the areas in the Maritimes you visited are more suitable for sailboat explorations than van explorations?
I appreciate your input, as always!
July 15, 2019 at 14:00
What a great trip, Liesbet. And Maya seems to be the perfect addition to your family. I think we were camping in Colorado at the same time as you! But we were in the southeast corner at Trinidad in our little half-popup (named Doodle 🙂 ). Thanks for the tip on iOverlander – we didn’t even know that app existed. All the best, Terri
July 18, 2019 at 09:10
It sure sounds like you were both in Colorado the same time as us, Terri. Wonderful weather during that period. I’m glad you had some time to be out and about in Doodle after those challenging months! iOverlander is fantastic (and the app can be used offline). It’s all we’ve been using every night to boondock our way across and around the country (and Canada).
July 16, 2019 at 07:20
Like others have mentioned here i think the two of you are very adventurous to do the ‘boondocking’ way of camping. I can’t remember if Zesty has shower facilities? If not i’m curious how you manage that aspect of life with no facilities. Gorgeous landscapes along the way. Wishing you safe travels ahead.
July 18, 2019 at 09:30
Hi Sue. The most amazing thing about Zesty is that we have “everything” in 19 feet. That includes a toilet and a shower (and a fridge, two-burner stove, two sinks, separate dining and sleeping area, and plenty of storage). German engineering. 🙂 Our small tanks last about 5 days – Mark and I shower every other day and we have a great filter, so drink water from our tank. Maya drinks a lot! Every five or so days, we visit a dump station, which we find via apps and websites. There, we dump our grey (dish and shower water) and black (toilet contents) tanks and fill up with drinking water. Free most of the time, thanks to the town or the national park’s facilities.
We have met MANY couples who live in their van or a camper without these facilities. They use public restrooms and shower at swimming pools or gyms, or take a sponge bath if they have some water capacity in the van/car. At our age, we were adamant about having our own bathroom. 🙂
July 20, 2019 at 06:42
Hi Liesbet, I am catching up on my reading and I wanted to make sure to read your posts in chronological order:) You have educated many of us on the concept of Boondocking. We have found offline apps very useful especially when we were camping in Iceland. Valley of the Gods is aptly named. Spectacular views! Taking photos of the signs helps identify areas, especially later on when we go through out photos. Maya is definitely part of the family now:)
July 29, 2019 at 07:45
Taking photos of signs with descriptions or names of trails/buildings/attractions is really helpful when organizing photos or using them for blog posts. I don’t do this often enough. Ever since the digital age for photos, I find it hard to label my thousands of pictures. Now, I just organize them in location folders, but the details and names (of churches, for example) will be forever forgotten.
Camping in Iceland sounds like a wonderful adventure! It’s on our mental list for future travels. 🙂